• Naval Warfare

  RAN’s MV Sycamore arrives in Sydney

  30th June 2017

  The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) multi-role aviation training vessel (MATV) MV Sycamore arrived in Sydney harbour after completing her 14-day maiden voyage, Damen Shipyards announced …

• Naval Warfare

  Deal inked for more Korean PKX-B craft

  30th June 2017

  South Korea is continuing to modernise its patrol boat fleet via an approximately $225 million contract with Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC), according to …

• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat receives MIDS JTRS contract

  29th June 2017

  ViaSat will supply Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) to the US Navy and US Air Force (USAF) under a $88.3 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Guardian sale could signal US policy change

  29th June 2017

  The White House approved the sale of 22 non-weaponised MQ-9B Guardian UAVs to India on 21 June, perhaps signalling a policy shift in terms of …

• Naval Warfare

  Metal Shark to build NCPVs

  28th June 2017

  Metal Shark has been awarded a foreign military sales contract by the US Navy to construct Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for US partner nations, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MCM drone operation tested in Belgium

  28th June 2017

  ECA Group has successfully demonstrated the capability to deploy its AUVs, USVs and ROVs simultaneously to perform parallel and collaborative detection to identification mine countermeasure …

• Land Warfare

  Russia prioritises land forces spending

  26th June 2017

  Russia is prioritising the development of domestic land and airborne forces as part of its state armament programme, which will cover the period 2018-2025 and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ERDC develops MARV to repair damaged piers

  26th June 2017

  The US Army Engineering Design and Research Centre (ERDC) has developed a USV called the Multifunctional Assessment Reconnaissance Vessel (MARV) to help repair damaged piers, …

• Naval Warfare

  Croatia gets new inshore patrol vessels

  26th June 2017

  Earlier this month Croatian shipyard Brodosplit launched the first inshore patrol vessel (IPV) of the five-unit batch ordered by the country’s coast guard service. The …

• Naval Warfare

  DCNS’s F21 torpedo enters final development phase

  26th June 2017

  DCNS’s F21 torpedo has entered into its final development phase following the completion of a qualification round of firing off the Var coast in France, …

• Digital Battlespace

  UK awards IFF upgrade contract

  26th June 2017

  Leonardo has received a contract worth over $323 million from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the upgrade of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) …

• Defence Helicopter

  Analysis: New Indian naval helicopters dashed again

  26th June 2017

  An Indian Navy (IN) deal valued at over $1 billion for 16 Multirole Helicopters (MRH) was given a quiet burial after being scrapped by the …

• Naval Warfare

  CCG inducts first MA60 patrol aircraft

  26th June 2017

  The first MA60H maritime patrol aircraft entered service with the China Coast Guard (CCG) during a formal ceremony on 19 June. The aircraft will be …

• Defence Notes

  Has the US lost the plot in South China Sea?

  23rd June 2017

  As the South China Sea transforms into a spider web of interconnected military facilities designed to lock out uninvited guests, one would have thought that …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce opens defence SDC in UK

  22nd June 2017

  Rolls-Royce has opened a new service delivery centre (SDC) at Royal Air Force Lossiemouth in Scotland, the company announced on 19 June. Established in partnership …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) As the Royal Navy stated in 2022, Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) are “interchangeable modules that can be fitted to ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Project Dragonfire [UK]

  Background The UK Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been working with MBDA, Leonardo and QinetiQ to develop a LASER Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) called ...

• Military UAS - small

  T-150 (Royal Navy) [UK]

  Background Deployment On 7 April 2025, the Royal Navy announced that, for the first time, nine T-150 drones would be operated from the HMS Prince ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lanza 3D Radar [Thailand]

  Background Thailand is procuring the LANZA 3D radar to strengthen surveillance and protection of Sattahip Naval Base. The radar will be deployed by the Royal ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Flexible Tactical Uncrewed Air System (FTUAS) [UK]

  Background Tender notice and timeline On 25 May 2021, the MoD published a tender notice for the urgent acquisition of a UAS and ancillaries under ...

• Military UAS - small

  Puma 3 AE (UK)

  Programme Background Testing The Royal Navy announced in October 2020 that the Puma was undergoing its first operational testing on HMS Albion's autumn deployment to ...

• Frigates

  Hamilton Class Cutter [Bahrain]

  Background Very little has been said about the transfer of an ex-Hamilton-class cutter to Bahrain, but it is one of the final two to leave ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (1-6) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved' Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020. The contract ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (7-8) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Boraida Class replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges the replacement of three Boraida-class minehunters. Based on the Durance-class design, the ships entered service in the mid-1980s ...

• Minehunters

  Lat Ya Class Replacement Programme [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) currently operates two Lat Ya-class minehunters, commissioned in the late 1990s. The units are based on the ...

• Frigates

  Air Defence Frigates Procurement [Denmark]

  Background Requirements After focusing on the procurement of new highly capable patrol ships and new Arctic frigates as a replacement for the Thetis-class, Shephard had initially estimated ...

• Frigates

  Karel Dorman Class (Chile)

  Programme Background  Chile currently operates two ex-Karel Doorman-class frigates which were sold in 2004. The Royal Netherlands Navy are in the process of replacing the ...

• Military UAS - small

  V-Bat [Netherlands]

  Background Contract award On 9 July 2025, Shield AI announced that the Netherlands MoD had acquired eight V-Bat aircraft, specifically the V-Bat 400, to enhance the maritime ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk 48 Mod 7AT CBASS

  The MK 48 MOD 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) is the latest variant of the Mk 48 torpedo family manufactured by Lockheed Martin and ...

• Military - UUVs

  XV Excalibur

  XV Excalibur is an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) built by UK-based MSubs, in conjunction with the Royal Navy. It is an experimental vessel ...

• Frigates

  Hunter Class (Type 26)

  The Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy are based on the Type 26 design. The ships are set to replace the Anzac-class under the ...

• Sea: naval fire control radar

  Ceros 200

  The Ceros 200 is a radar and optronic tracking system designed for use on naval vessels. When interfaced with modern missile or gun systems, it ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Royal Danish Navy MH-60R MOFT

  In January 2014, CAE was awarded an FMS contract by the USN to develop an MH-60R mission operational flight trainer (MOFT) for the Royal Danish ...

• Frigates

  Naresuan Class

  The Naresuan-class guided-missile frigates are a modified variant of the Chinese-built Type 053 frigate. The two ships-in-class were built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation ...

• Destroyers

  River Class (Type 26)

  The Type 26 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate has been designed for the UK Royal Navy, but with an emphasis on export. Both the Royal Canadian Navy ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  AN/SPY-7(V)1

  The AN/SPY-7(V)1 is a solid-state naval surveillance radar produced and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The system is expected to be fully integrated into programmes for ...

• Frigates

  Jacob Van Heemskerck Class

  The Jacob van Heemskerck class frigates were ex-Royal Netherlands Navy frigates that also served under the Chilean Navy, also known as the Latorre-class. Two anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Walrus

  The Walrus is a mini rotary-wing UAV manufactured by the Royal Navy's 700X Naval Air Squadron.  As stressed during the December 2022 announcement, Walrus has been ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RD-170BT

  The RD-170BT is a man-portable surveillance radar deployed ashore to protect moored patrol boats of the Royal Norwegian Navy. 

• Minehunters

  Sandown Class

  The Sandown class vessels are coastal minehunters and OPVs in service with the UK Royal Navy and Royal Saudi Naval Forces as the Al Jawf class. Additionally, ...

• Military - UUVs

  Mission Specialist Defender

  The Mission Specialist Defender is a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) developed by VideoRay, now part of BlueHalo's unmanned maritime systems. The ROV is known ...

• Frigates

  Type 22 (Batch 1)

  The Type 22 frigates were previously the Broadsword-class in service with the UK's Royal Navy. The vessels were built in three batches, with the first ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...